46 St. -Johns-wort (Hypericacece) 



on the day of the nativity of St. John the Baptist, the 

 peasantry trim their homes with it in honor of the saint, 

 and to gain his favor. 



" I must gather the mystic St.-John's-wort to-night, 

 The wonderful herb whose leaf will decide 

 If the coming year shall make me a bride." 



Translated from the German. 



" Trefoil, Vervain, Johrts-wort, Dill, 

 Hinder witches of their will." 



Fig. 7. Shrubby St.-John's-wort. H. prolificum, L. 



Flowers, orange-yellow, three quarters of an inch across, 

 crowded in simple or compound leafy clusters. 

 Stamens, very numerous. Seed-case, three-celled. 

 Styles, three more or less united. July, August. 



Leaves, one to two and one half inches long, narrow ; 

 edge often wavy ; apex usually obtuse ; base nar- 

 rowed. 



Branchlets, two-edged. 



Fruit, one third to one half inch long. 



Found, from New Jersey to Michigan and southward. 

 A very ornamental little shrub, usually two to four 



feet in height, but variable in size. 



Hypericum densiflorum. Pursh. 



This species differs from the preceding chiefly in these 

 items : 

 Flowers, one half to two thirds of an inch in diameter, in 



crowded compound clusters. 

 Leaves, about one inch in length. 

 Fruit, one third to one quarter inch in length. 

 Found, from the pine barrens of New Jersey to Kentucky 

 and Arkansas, and southward. 



